Police: Neighbor charged in fatal Pigtown stabbing

A neighbor of a woman found stabbed death this week in Pigtown has been charged in her killing, police said Thursday.

Police say Antonio Johnson, 52, of the 1200 block of Washington Blvd., has been charged with the murder of Deborah Simon, 55, who had moved a few doors down after her home caught fire in August.

Johnson has been in jail since Nov. 4 on an unrelated assault charge - the day before Simon was found by a relative. But police believe the killing occurred on Nov. 3, and say they found some of her stolen belongings, including a television and cell phone.

"We believe he was looking for money, and she let him in because he was a neighbor," spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.

Court records show Johnson has been picked up for drug and assault cases. In 1999, he got a 15 year sentence on drug charges, with all but 5 years suspended. In 2005, he was found to have violated his probation from that case, and was sent back to prison for another four years.

He's being held in Central Booking on $5,000 bond in the unrelated assault case from this week, but police were expected to serve him with the new charges.